About

The Exhibition

Marking the centenary of the first Allied landings in the Gallipoli Campaign, Tramway Anzacs is a special exhibition honouring 538 of the Melbourne tramway employees who volunteered for military service in World War I; and remembrance of the 86 who died in the conflict.

The exhibition explores the war’s effect on Melbourne from the unique perspective of its tramways – from the impact on daily life, to the stories of the employees who served, and the important role of tramways during wartime.

Those Who Served

Read the fascinating stories of individual Tramway Anzacs – the ordinary men who answered the call.

Melbourne in 1915

See Melbourne as it was on the outbreak of war, through a digital presentation about the city and its people.

Melbourne's Tramways

Explore Melbourne’s tramways in the period 1914-1918 - the different networks that operated throughout the period, the impact of war on their operations, and the role of trams as a method of wartime transport and communication. An innovative new map has been prepared showing all cable, horse, and electric tram routes together for the first time.

Commemoration

Discover how the tramways celebrated those who served and commemorated those who died.

Presentation

Tramway Anzacs brings together objects from several collections for the first time, including original tramways honour boards and other artefacts from the era. These are complimented by new electronic presentations and an innovative digital honour roll.

Acknowledgements

This exhibition has been made possible through the generous support of VicTrack and Yarra Trams.

Research for Tramway Anzacs was made possible with the resources and assistance of:

The Australian War MemorialThe Commonwealth War Graves CommissionThe National Archives of AustraliaThe Public Records Office of VictoriaThe National Library of AustraliaThe State Library of VictoriaMuseum VictoriaMr Norm Maddock